A chapter of the National Audubon Society

Possible Red Phalaropes at Newnans Lake!

Caleb Gordon writes, “I saw two phalaropes from Windsor boat ramp this morning at around 9:30. They were way out, so 100% confident species ID is impossible, but I think they are more likely Red Phalaropes, based on being very pale overall, and having pale, apparently unpatterned backs. They were probably at least a mile out. If you stand at the water at the Windsor boat ramp and look across at Palm Point, these birds were at about 2:00 (clock face orientation), in other words, in the northern portion of the lake, and they were pretty much out on the middle of the lake. In a careful scope scan, they appear like mini Bonaparte’s Gulls, but really stood out as phalaropes with direct size comparison with actual Bonaparte’s on the water nearby. I had to zoom in on my scope to see the face pattern, and couldn’t really get much of a sense of the bill thickness at that distance. Good luck if anyone goes to look, and I’ll be curious to hear what others think re ID.”